After the success of Odyssey, many have been wondering what's up next for the Assassin's Creed franchise. While Origins and Odyssey aided in the series' resurgence in popularity, all eyes are on the 2020 entry and what history-hopping adventure fans will get to experience next.
Pretty much every leak and rumor so far points to a Viking-themed Assassin's Creed game coming at the end of this year. Some leaks and rumors say Ragnarok, some say Valhalla, but altogether they all point to a Norse-inspired setting coming to the franchise for the first time. Like any unreleased game, there's been a fair share of believable and obviously fake rumors/leaks, but there are some plausible details that might outline what to expect for the upcoming iteration.
Early Assassin's Creed Ragnarok Leaks
Rumors for the next Assassin's Creed have been circulating as early as April of last year, though many were either inconclusive or proven false. There was a slight tease from an in-game poster in The Division 2 that hinted at a Viking setting, which was then used to fuel a fake leak that involved doctored images from another game called Mount & Blade. It was quiet for a little while after that "leak" was disproven, but then even more leaks/rumors started popping up later on in 2019.
Later on in 2019, starting around November, leaks came out stating that the next Assassin's Creed would be called Ragnarok. Along with the supposed confirmation of the subtitle, the leak also detailed several more specific facts. The game was confirmed to release for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, continue with the RPG elements introduced in Origins, and include Naval combat that was redesigned to fit Viking-era longships. One of the more distinctive aspects of this leak was that NPC recruitment, like the system in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood would return to Ragnarok.
Leaks beyond that confirmed several more specific details. A leak in December confirmed gender choice would return with a male/female customizable character named Jora. Ragnarok's narrative was also rumored to involve more supernatural elements, and players would directly interact with Norse gods like Asgard, Jotunheim, Odin, Loki, and Yggdrasil. This leak did also state the game would be revealed during the rumored PS5 reveal event at the Sony Hall in February, but that rumor never came to fruition. Other minor details include a co-op mode, a berserker bar, and details as to its potential map.
Contradictory Information
More recently there have been rumors about 2020's Assassin's Creed entry that challenge the previous leaks, ranging from slightly different to greatly opposing information. The first rumor was a potentially leaked Xbox Achievement list for a game called Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Presumably still in line with the previous Viking-era rumors of Ragnarok, this leak provides an entire list of achievements supposedly from Assassin's Creed 2020. While each achievement itself contains a description or prerequisite, none of these achievements have individual icons, nor does the game itself have a description or logo/image. This was the first leak to contradict many of the Ragnarok rumors, but it certainly wasn't the last.
Another more challenging rumor stated that the Assassin's Creed's 2020 would avoid the Viking time period entirely. Entitled Assassin's Creed: Counter Culture, the game would be centered on the Summer of Love (1960s) that would feature a dual-protagonist dynamic similar to Assassin's Creed Syndicate. Players will take on the role of Alice or Miles Lane, a husband-wife Assassin team. Counter Culture would be a return to form for the series supposedly, eschewing the RPG elements and incorporating more action-stealth gameplay mechanics with a heavy focus on sidearms. Players would also have access to a motorcycle and a grappling hook as means of traversal. The Lane family would be tasked with crafting a new Assassin brotherhood in the 60s in a relatively modern society.
Fact Or Fiction
Now it's important to note that, other than The Division 2 "hint" artwork, all of these rumors are unsubstantiated. There's been no evidence outright confirming any of these leaks, though many fellow leakers have corroborated one another. That being said, the sheer amount of Viking-related rumors has to be more than just coincidence or sheer desire. Ubisoft is known for having a serious amount of leaks/rumors, some of which Ubisoft itself outright confirmed, that come true about its next projects as the game's true reveal inches closer. That track record means it's likely the Viking-era rumors at their core are most likely true, but any of the secondary/tertiary details surrounding them are up to interpretation.
What's interesting is the difference in Ragnarok and Valhalla, as it's hard to determine which one is correct/incorrect. The issue with the name difference is that it's very possible Ragnarok was a project name and that Valhalla is the official game title, or vice versa. Some of the early rumors touted the project name "Kingdom," though none of the rumors beyond April 2019 mentioned "Kingdom" explicitly. One theory is that Ragnarok could've been changed to Valhalla to avoid potential copyright issues with Marvel film Thor: Ragnarok. Either way this does likely discount the Assassin's Creed: Counter Culture rumor, as not only does it not match up with any previous leaks at all, but it would also be nearly impossible to have any kind of information regarding any Assassin's Creed games beyond 2020.
Regardless, fans should be excited for a Vikings-themed Assassin's Creed game, as it's a very interesting and popular time period in history worth exploring. Plus considering Assassin's Creed is all about violent combat and murder, what better way to celebrate that than emulating the brutality of the Viking Age?
Assassin's Creed 2020 is rumored to be in development.